Dan Angel and Billy Brown--who will produce and run The SCI FI Channel's upcoming Battlestar Galactica
series--told SCI FI Wire that the proposed series will feature some characters from the classic 1970s Galactica TV
series. "Some of the characters will be revived," Brown said in an interview, but declined to say which ones. Added
Angel, "All that is in discussion stage right now, but absolutely, the intention is to keep in the spirit of what was there
before and to preserve--as Billy said--what was there."

Angel and Brown will run the series, which is being developed with X-Men producer Tom DeSanto and director
Bryan Singer. "Hopefully, what we're trying to aim for is, there will be new characters, there will be some of the old
characters," Brown said. "But since it's not totally written and totally signed off on--and also because there's such a
huge fan base--we don't want to get out false rumors and have people, like, go crazy. But I think one thing we can say
is that we're very much aware of the old fans. ... We want to honor the old show. We don't want to violate anything.
It's like, if you watch the show, you're not going to go, 'Oh, well, they totally contradicted what was in the old show.'
There won't be any contradictions, but there will be a taking it further and taking it further in time."

Brown added that he and Angel were working on the script for a two-hour pilot for the series, which will advance the
original storyline. "It does take place in a not-so-distant future from the end of the old show," Brown said. "It's going
to be a sprawling, family saga that is set amongst the travails and adventures of the human colony."

Does everyone now understand why I'm not sweating bullets about the new show? The show *is* in good hands. The
lack of information has made that faith difficult, but this latest post on SciFi.com was a very welcome breath of fresh
air.

I maintain, though: While the news from the showrunners is VERY positive, VERY optimistic, Richard, Dirk, Jack,
Herb, Laurette, Anne, Terry, Sarah, etc. have *not* been signed to the new show yet. That continues to concern me.
Hopefully, that will be allayed soon, as the scripts are formalized and the pre-production is formulated/finalized.

I believe that Dan and Billy are very sincere. I would feel a LOT more positive once Richard, Dirk, etc. have been
signed aboard. I want to *thank them* on behalf of Battlestar Galactica fans for, at least, addressing the immediate
concerns of fandom. It's very, very appreciated -- especially given the lack of news and information about the new
Battlestar Galactica production.

I hope we'll hear more in the coming month on the new Battlestar Galactica production. Keep an open mind -- and
keep sending those fan feedback letters to The Powers That Be via:

FOX has ordered a two-hour Battlestar Galactica movie from Studios USA, based on the 1970s series, which will
stand as a pilot for a proposed Galactica series for the 2002-03 season that will run jointly on FOX and The SCI FI
Channel, Sarah Timberman, president of Studios USA Programming, announced. As previously reported, X-Men
director Bryan Singer will helm and will also executive produce with Tom DeSanto, Dan Angel and Billy Brown.
"We're tremendously excited to be bringing the originality and immense talent of Bryan Singer, Tom DeSanto, Dan
Angel and Billy Brown to bear on reinventing what was clearly such a pop culture phenomenon," Timberman said in a
statement.

The next-generation Galactica will be set after the seventh-millennium time frame of the original series, which ran on
ABC from 1978-80. "Our goal is to take the Galactica franchise and move it forward in both style and character,
while bringing the scope and sensibility of epic science-fiction filmmaking to the small screen," Singer said in a
statement.

Studios USA is a division of USA Networks, which also owns SCIFI.COM and The SCI FI Channel.

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - FOX has ordered a pilot of an updated version of the science fiction, classic
"Battlestar Galactica." The two-hour pilot from Studios USA is based on the original '70s series.

The project will be directed by Bryan Singer ("X-Men"), who will also executive produce along with partners Tom
DeSanto, Dan Angel and Billy Brown.

"Our goal is to take the 'Galactica' franchise and move it forward in both style and character while bringing the scope
and sensibility of epic science fiction filmmaking to the small screen," says Singer.

The update on "Galactica" will be set after the seventh-millennium time frame of the original series, which ran on ABC
from 1978-80 and starred Lorne Greene as the commander of a battleship of humans fleeing Earth after an
intergalactic war.

"I've dreamed of bringing 'Battlestar Galactica' back for over 10 years now and could not think of a better home for it
than FOX," says DeSanto.

If picked up as a series, the pilot is would air during the 2002-03 season with Angel and Brown serving as the show's
showrunners. In addition, the series would have a shared broadcast window with Studio USA's sister company, Sci Fi
Channel.

Another re-post from scifi.com, with some questions and answers from Michael Faries concerning today's
announcements. Mike, I hope you are getting all of this for sarahrush.com!

Joe

---------------------------

1. Only the pilot has been ordered? Lots of pilots are made that either never air or never develop into series.

FOX needs to see the financial viability of the new series. Two words: "Dark Angel." Telemovie, followed by
television series. Big name: James Cameron. Big name: Bryan Singer.

Bottom line: It is likely that the BSG regular series deal-making is (almost) a done-deal, pending the completion of the
BSG telemovie. Welcome to the wacky world of television programming. Sell the pilot; sell the regular series.

3. If the pilot is to be filmed in two or three months, that means it's going to sit on a shelf for a year.

Actually, filming would start late this year, with pre-production starting soon. I can say no more.

4. Series to be set after the Seventh Millennium? That means the new show takes place in the Eighth Millenium, I
suppose. A thousand years after the series, I suppose.

Actually, 20-40 yahrens since the close of the original series, still within the Seventh Millenium. (And remember: Our
beloved Colonials age slower than us Thirteenth Tribe folks.) 20-40 yahrens is time enough for the Colonials to settle
down, start families, rebuild their civilization and build a foundation for a new set of adventures as the Cylons
reappear... ;-) Sounds a tad bit like parts of Richard's trailer, but hey, if they're borrowing from his concepts, it's a
*great* way to go, imho.

Keep the letters of support for the original cast coming in. I apologize for being enigmatic, but I'm very, VERY
optimistic about the return of various original cast members right now. We do need to continue voicing our support for
the new show -- and what we'd like to see.

That's all I can say.

Michael
.who's feeling exceptionally good about the new "Battlestar Galactica" production.

Message #417 - Mon, 02 Jul 2001NEW interview with the BSG2 producers

A new interview with BSG2 producers Singer, DeSanto, Angel, and Brown was posted this morning. Lots of pics and
other good stuff, so follow the link to see for yourself:

An Interview with Sarah Rush

Sarah Rush graced our screen in 1978 as Flight Corporal Rigel on
television's Battlestar Galactica. We caught up with Sarah in June
2001 to reflect upon the show and current events in her life.

First and foremost, how have you been?

Really, really well!!!!! You know, life is such an amazing journey.
As anyone, I have had my tough times, but I find that I am so grateful
now for the small joys in life, as well as the great things. I seem to
be getting really fun roles now, and I feel more free in my work as an
actor. When I was a very young actor, I was so hard on myself. I would
watch myself on television, and think, "Oh, no, I don't look very pretty,
or yikes, I didn't like that moment, or ... "

Now, I am much more supportive of myself!!!!!! Maybe it comes with age,
but I don't want to beat myself up anymore. I just want to celebrate when
I have a show on TV or a commercial running!!!! It's just great to be
working at a job that I love.

Any recent happenings in your life you'd like to share?

Recent happenings in my life: I was married almost two years ago to
a wonderful man, Fred Bova. He's such a good guy, and I'm so thankful
for him. Friends had tried to get us together for two years, and I finally
relinquished and agreed to meet him. We were engaged two months later!!!
He was a professional quitar player for years, playing with folks like
Michael Bolton, Larry Norman, and Randy Stonehill, and now he is a technician
at Saban.

As far as work goes, I'll be in two upcoming movies. One is called Max
Feeble's Big Move for Disney, and the other is Fangs (It's
about bats and is fun!!!!) for Porchlight Entertainment.

We're really glad to see you're active with your acting career.

Let's take our readers back in time briefly: I actually remember
watching you on CBS in the Philip DeGuere TV production of Dr. Strange
with Peter Hooten in the mid-1970s. When did the "acting bug" bite you?
When inspired you to act professionally?

When did the acting bug hit me?? I have wanted to be an actress all
my life. Even as a child doing school plays, I found it was a way to express
myself. I'm not a show-off kind of person. Actually, when I was doing
a lot of television and people were asking me for my autograph and making
a fuss over me, I felt really uncomfortable. I have just always loved
to act, to get lost in a role, and to channel all of the emotion that
I experience in my life. I love the moment to moment of acting, the intimacy
of working with other actors, and the challenge of finding the life of
another person in a character.

Most of our readers are familiar
with you for your role on television's Battlestar Galactica as
Flight Corporal Rigel. Your very memorable line, "Launch when ready,"
sent Colonial Viper pilots turbo'ing down the Galactica's launch
tubes. (We should note that you had more lines in the episodes, "Saga
of a Star World" (pilot) and "Gun on Ice Planet Zero" parts I and II.)

Please do share with us how you were
"brought aboard the Galactica." What do you remember about the
audition/hiring process, showing up to work, getting your scripted lines,
the costume process, the hairstyle changes, etc.

How did I get the role of Flight Corporal Rigel? When I think about
the audition, I have to laugh! I was a contract player at Universal, and
I think that certainly helped me to get the role. However, I remember
walking in to a huge office in the Black Tower at Universal, and along
with Glen Larson, there were about seven other people. It was pretty amazing
to see all these folks in one room, looking at me! Anyway, I had one line,
something like "100 microns and closing, 99 microns and closing. . . Red
alert!" I said these lines into my fist, as if it were a microphone. I
have always been very serious about acting, and so I took it very seriously.

When I finished, I looked up at everyone, and after a moment of total
silence, we all started laughing!!!!! Glen Larson was so kind to me, and
I am so grateful that he gave me the job. I wish I had done more episodes,
but I was doing a lot of episodic television at the time, and it seemed
that I was busy. I loved putting on my space outfit!!!!!!

I designed the hair style with the braids, which I thought was perfect
for the role, but I understand that someone, and I truly don't know who,
didn't like it. At one point, the hairdresser took out my braids on the
set, and we started filming the scene even before I had combed my hair!

Any recollections about the change from
director Richard Colla to Alan J. Levi on the first episode? Did it impact
your work on the set? Did you see/feel the pressures of the show going
overbudget/overtime?

I do remember. I felt so bad for Richard, and I had no idea why he left
the show, but of course, I was concerned for him. I know that he has been
very successful, and I am glad of that. I admit that I loved Alan Levi!!
I did an episode of The Oregon Trail with him as well, and he is
such a lovely man. I haven't seen him in many years, but I was so fond
of him. I think I was aware of the pressures of the show, as it seemed
like such a huge undertaking. The production values were HUGE, and with
so many talented people involved, I'm sure that the pressure was intense.
I, of course, was just having a blast being a part of it, and was not
privy to the demands made on the producers. I'm sure it was very difficult.

I'd like to name various actors and get
your heartfelt thoughts and memories about them:

Lorne Greene - What a lovely man. He was such a gentleman, and
so kind. I remember going to a Christmas party at his home and feeling
so welcomed. He was such a real and authentic person, and I never remember
any Star status behavior. I was so sad when he passed away, because he
was such a quality man.

Terry Carter - Talk about a quality man!!! Terry is such a wonderful
man, just beautiful. I enjoyed so much having lunch with Terry and his
wife at the last Battlestar Galactica reunion. He was so lovely
to me when I was on the show, always so interested in how my life was
going. I loved talking about acting with him.

David Greenan - David is the BEST!!!! I'm so glad we became friends,
and I loved seeing him when I lived in New York. We studied with the same
acting teacher, Uta Hagen at HB Studios, and David had a play reading
group that I was involved with. I miss David, and so hope that all is
well in this life.

Maren Jensen - Maren is so beautiful!!!! I don't know where she
is now, but I hope that she is happy and well. I always felt like such
a moose compared to her, but she couldn't have been sweeter. Aren't her
eyes just beautiful!!!!

Richard Hatch - Well, I can't say enough about Richard!!!! We
all had enormous crushes on him, and he is such a beautiful person. It
amazes me to this day how wonderful he was to me, as I was just a 22 year
old nobody!!!!! I also loved talking to Richard about acting, and I have
always admired his commitment and passion. I confess that Richard gave
the best neck massages on the face of the earth!!!!!

Dirk Benedict - Dirk is great!! I loved talking to him about
health and fitness. He was so knowledgeable about healthy eating, and
such a fun guy. It was wonderful to see him at the last reunion as well.

Herb Jefferson, Jr. - What a kick he is!!!!! I loved Herb, as
he was so much fun. He really is a great guy. We shared the same acting
teacher here in L.A. What a wonderful actor he is.

Laurette Spang and Anne Lockhart - I love these gals. When I see
them at reunions, I regret that I don't get together with them more often.
They both have precious families, and they are so wonderful. I remember
working with Laurette, and she is so beautiful and kind.

David Matthau - I adored David, and have unfortunately lost contact
with him. I know that he is a sportscaster somewhere. He is married to
a really brilliant woman, and I know that they have at least one child.
David was under contract with me at Universal, and he is the greatest
guy!! (Note: David is the son of the late Walter Matthau, and played a
fellow Galactica bridge crew member..)

Were there any notable pranks which occured
on the set? Any funny moments which come to mind with the Galactica
crew?

For me, Battlestar Galactica was such a great experience. The
cast was so marvelous to me, and as I've said, I was just a 22 year
old nobody!!! The quality of the people involved was amazing, and
I really appreciate the encouragement I received as an actor from
everyone. It was such a ball putting on my space suit, and hanging
around the set was absolutely fabulous. It was an amazing set!!!!!!!!!
I think we all knew that the project was special, and it was so
much fun to be a part of it.

So many times you hear of series casts who are perhaps aloof and don't
become "family" with each other, but the cast of Battlestar Galactica
was very close.

I heard the cast threw a birthday party
for you...

I loved having lunch with the actors, and it's true that they did celebrate
my 22nd birthday!!!!!! Can you imagine that!!!!! We all went to a restaurant
at the Universal City Wok, and what a thrilling way to celebrate a birthday.
It was a lunch, and we were all in our costumes!!!!!! My memories of the
show are so terrific, and I am so grateful to have been a very small part
of it.

Maybe a "small part", but fans
have certainly remembered you fondly. A while back, you discovered that
you had a fan club online at SarahRush.com.
What was your initial reaction?

You can't imagine how shocked I was to have learned that there is a fan
club in my honor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't believe it!!!!! I am so
grateful to Paul and Mike and the others who have been involved. I feel
that it is an encouragement for me to just keep plugging away. Many of
the members are science fiction fans, and some of them are also Christians.
At the risk of stereotyping, I think science fiction fans are really extraordinary
people. I think it involves a special creativity and intelligence to grasp
the complexities of the infinity of Space, and I have found that these
folks are also really nice people. Because I am also a Christian, it really
touches me that their are some people in the club who appreciate that
about me.

I have been so overwhelmed by the support of the club. I still can't
get over it, and it is really special to check in and read messages from
people. I feel like it's a friend club, not a fan club, and I really appreciate
the encouragement and support it has provided.

Do you attend any conventions?

I have just learned about one convention in Atlanta, and it would be
great fun to attend. I'm not sure that I can, but perhaps!!!!!

As you know, Richard
Hatch put together a professional, promotional trailer reel, titled Battlestar
Galactica: The Second Coming to sell a new Battlestar Galactica
series. Have you seen Richard's trailer yet?

I haven't seen it yet. I am so amazed by Richard's tenacity and passion
for Battlestar Galactica, and I truly hope that he will be able
to be involved in the new series. He is such a wonderful actor, so committed
and talented, and he's just a doll. I know that he is really beloved by
lots of people.

Any possibilities that you would like to
return to Battlestar Galactica (by co-Executive Producers Tom DeSanto
and Bryan Singer) if asked?

Would I like to be a part of the new series?? You bet I would.
It would be such a miracle and honor, and I would love to. I have grown
more and more to appreciate of my Battlestar Galactica experience,
and it would be so wonderful to reprise Rigel.

One of the best compliments I received was from a fellow who had become
a member of the club. He said that he remembered an episode I was in from
his childhood days, and he remembered me very specifically, including
my lines. He wanted to watch it again to see if he remembered it correctly,
and he had. He said that he had remembered me because I had been truthful
and honest and brought real humanity to the moment in the scene.

I was so touched by that, because even though Battlestar Galactica's
time frame is set in extraordinary circumstances with amazing technological
effects, people are human and real and experience true feelings. That's
actually one of the reasons I would love to do a science fiction show
again, to bring that humanity in the midst of the vastness of Space.

Thanks, Sarah!

The author would like to thank Joseph Ambrosio
for helping to make this interview possible. For additional fan sites
devoted to Sarah, please visit SarahRush.com
(be sure to sign the Guest Book in support of Sarah's return to Battlestar
Galactica!) and Yahoo!
Clubs: Sarah Rush.

Many thanks to Michael Faries from Mike, (webmaster); Paul, (website and fanclub president/owner);
and Sarah Rush, (you know who she is), for allowing us to put the interview on this site.

URGENT

The following is a request from Michael Faries to Battlestar Galactica fans
(re-posted from a re-post in the fan club)
It can also be found in the fan club, message #424.

How you can have an influence in the new Battlestar Galactica.

All,

From what I'm seeing/hearing, BSG filming for the pilot episode will take place between November 2001 and January 2002, with delivery
of the finished pilot to FOX and Sci-Fi Channel executives by April 2002. (Some of this is public knowledge anyway.) Casting decisions
aren't being announced yet. From this perspective, there remains more work before that happens (getting the script finalized, for one).

Right now, it is VITAL that all Battlestar Galactica fans send their support to Tom DeSanto, Bryan Singer and Studios USA for the original
characters/cast members (actors) -- and moreso HOW they want those characters to return. I can't acknowledge publicly that any of the
original cast are returning. But it's important that fandom signals HOW they want the characters to return.

My questions to ALL of you is simple, straightforward and *important* to ask:

How have these characters aged? Where are they, twenty to forty yahrens since the original series ended?

This question is AS IMPORTANT AS WANTING THE ORIGINAL CAST MEMBERS BACK.

Measure your answers against the characters' growth within the Richard Hatch "Battlestar Galactica" novels -- or your own thoughts on
how these characters have grown. Are they married? To whom? Do they have children? What/how are they contributing to the fleet right
now? Are they true to their former selves, or have they changed completely? Are they war-weary veterans -- or champions against the
Cylon menace? Have they chosen new roles, whether in the military command structure, political life, civilian life?

Share your thoughts. Be forthright, bold and honest.

I'd hate to see some of these original actors return to lackluster characterizations. Do you merely want to see them on-screen in token
appearances? What level of participation/interaction should they have? How have the characters grown? How are they NOW, within the
Battlestar Galactica universe?

I don't think I've asked a more serious question of fans in recent times... and I REALLY hope everyone takes this seriously. Spread the
word. It is VERY important. Hear me.

I don't envy Tom DeSanto's mission to bring back the Galactica. He is working with executives from Vivendi Universal, Fox, and Studios
USA (and with his own organization) -- ALL OF WHOM have their vision, creative direction, etc. to input. That creates change/flux in the
production plans. But tell him what YOU, the fans, want from the characters.

You should be messaging that every single day! You need to make those points LOUD and CLEAR (in a polite way, too). *Focus* on
"Battlestar Galactica"!

If I may add, for those who are unaccustomed to reading between Michael's lines, this is his thinly veiled attempt to let us know that Tom
DeSanto is requesting this input. Michael DOES have contact with the BSG2 production team (he has their phone number and e-mail
address), and I take what he says very seriously. This is not just some silly fanboy exercise. It would be worth the time for the BSG fans in
this club to answer Michael's question, specifically in regard to Sarah's character of Rigel. I'll be posting my own response, in the form of a
letter to Tom DeSanto, immediately following this message.

If you have any thoughts, even a paragraph or two (don't be overwhelmed by the Tolstoy novel I have written), please share them here, at
the revival link above.

If you want to have input to the new "Battlestar Galactica", now is your chance. Your feedback will be heard. They do want to know what
you are looking for in the new show.
You should go to:
http://www.battlestargalactica.com/features/revival/.
On that page you will find addresses you can write to and a link to provide your feedback through the site. You can also post
your feedback in the fan club, or through the guestbook here,
but through battlestargalactica.com will
be the most effective.